The Pacific Northwest is known for being extremely dog-friendly, and I have been doing more road trips with Pepper recently. In 2025, we took a month-long road trip through the Pacific Northwest with a week in Seattle. In 2026, I did a month-long home exchange and lived in Ballard, Seattle for a month with Pepper. During that trip, I tested off-leash dog parks, dog beaches, outdoor dining, urban walks, sightseeing options, ferry rides, and day trips. After spending that much time exploring Seattle with a dog, this is my list of the best dog-friendly things to do in Seattle.
If you are interested in how Seattle compares to San Francisco for dogs, I wrote an entire post about which city is better for dogs.
Get My Free Seattle Map
There are layers for Seattle architecture, an entire section on the Ballard neighborhood, and a special layer just for dogs. Everything in this post is pinned.
Pepper’s Top Picks
If you only have time for a few stops, these are Pepper’s top picks.
- Best Leashed Park and Scenic Walk – Gas Works Park
- Best Outdoor Dining – Ballard Breweries
- Best Day Trip – Whidbey Island
Related Post: Dog-Friendly Things to Do in San Francisco
Off-Leash Parks & Dog Beaches in Seattle
The Seattle waterfront and many parks have nature and wildlife protections that restrict dog access, so it is important to know where your dog is allowed, especially if you are looking for off-leash space. Pepper is a pointer-shepherd mix who needs room to run, so finding good off-leash areas was one of my priorities. Another thing to know about Seattle beaches is that many dog-friendly areas are rocky and covered with barnacles, so I checked Pepper’s paws for scrapes after each visit.
Magnuson Park and Dog Beach
Magnuson Park has a huge fenced off-leash dog area. It also has one of the only dog-friendly water access points within Seattle. The beach area is not very big and is mostly small stones, but it is along Lake Washington, so the water is fresh (not salty). This was the best off-leash dog area we found in Seattle.
Golden Gardens
Golden Gardens is one of the few sandy beaches in Seattle, but dogs are not allowed on the beach. There are on-leash paths next to the beach, and on-leash trails up the hill. The only official off-leash dog area at Golden Gardens is a fenced dog park up the hill. It is large, but very dusty.
I heard from some locals that the very northern part of Golden Gardens Beach is sometimes treated like an unofficial dog beach in the mornings. When we went, there were several off-leash dogs playing on the beach. If you decide to check it out, just know that dogs are technically not allowed on the beach at all, and you could get a ticket. We tested it out, and it really was the best dog beach experience we had in Seattle, even though it is not officially allowed.
Edmonds Dog Beach
Edmonds Dog Beach is not technically in Seattle, but since dog-friendly beach access is limited in the city, it is worth mentioning. You can get to Edmonds on a 20-minute drive north of Seattle, depending on traffic.
We visited Edmonds Dog Beach a few times on our trips to Seattle. The amount of beach changes with the tides, and there are a lot of shells, barnacles, rocks, and some sandy patches. If the tide is low, you can walk south along the water a little bit; just beware that the train tracks are close by, the trains are loud when they pass, and there is no fence between the beach and train tracks.
Double Bluff Beach
Double Bluff Beach is also not technically in Seattle, but it is worth mentioning because it was the best off-leash dog beach we found during our time in Seattle. Whidbey Island can be reached by taking the ferry from Mukilteo and then driving a short distance to Double Bluff Beach. The beach has long stretches of sand, some rocks and barnacles, and lots of driftwood. There was plenty of space to walk along the beach and give Pepper a chance to run. If you have time for a day trip from Seattle, Whidbey Island and Deception Pass was my favorite dog-friendly day trip from the city.
Hiking Trails & Urban Walks in Seattle
Seattle has many urban trails and even hiking trails within the city limits. Dogs are allowed on many of these paths, but they usually need to stay on leash unless you are in a designated off-leash area. These are the best on-leash walks I found with Pepper within Seattle.
Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park is my favorite park in Seattle. I love the adaptive reuse story of turning an industrial plant into a public park. Dogs are allowed on leash, and there are great views of the downtown Seattle skyline across Lake Union. There is no water access allowed, and lots of geese.
Related Post: Seattle Architecture Guide
From Gas Works Park, you can also wander in either direction along the Burke-Gilman Trail to extend the walk.
Burke-Gilman Trail
The Burke-Gilman Trail stretches from Golden Gardens along the waterfront all the way up to Kenmore (with a missing link near downtown Ballard). It is a multi-use trail so you will find other walkers, runners, and cyclists on the path.
I loved the stretch from Golden Gardens to the Ballard Locks. I also walked a bit in both directions from Gas Works Park.
Olympic Sculpture Park to Seattle Waterfront Park
If you want to explore some tourist attractions with your dog, Olympic Sculpture Park allows dogs on leash. Explore the park and make sure to check out the Richard Serra sculptures. There is a trail along the water, and you can follow the sidewalk south to Seattle Waterfront Park.
At Seattle Waterfront Park, walk along the piers and up the steps at the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion for views over the waterfront. If you want to continue from there, it is a short walk to Pike Place Market. Dogs are allowed on the public streets, so you can walk past the Gum Wall and outside Pike Place Market. Dogs are not allowed inside Pike Place Market. I imagine Pepper would have been VERY interested in the flying fish!
Green Lake
The path around Green Lake is 2.8 miles and a lovely scenic walk that allows dogs. You will pass many other walkers and bikers along the way and have a view of Green Lake the whole time. Beware, there are a lot of squirrels and birds. Pepper had a hard time containing her pointer instincts with the wildlife on this one, but I still enjoyed the walk and went back again.
Discovery Park
Discovery Park is a nature park in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. There are tons of trails here that allow on-leash dogs. Pepper and I hiked the Loop Trail and found it to be a great little escape within the city.
Dog-Friendly Dining in Seattle
I found Seattle to have plenty of options for dog-friendly dining. There are tons of outdoor patios throughout the city, and most welcome dogs.
Ballard Breweries
The Ballard Brewery District was the easiest place to find dog-friendly dining because most breweries have large outdoor patios that allow dogs. Most also have food onsite or a food truck nearby, so it was easy to find options where Pepper was welcome. Some of my favorites were Rueben’s and Old Stove Brewing.
Dog-Friendly Patios
Nearby in Downtown Ballard, there were plenty of dining options with outdoor patios along the historic stretch of Ballard Avenue.
Another favorite place for dining with Pepper was the Barking Dog Ale House. It is in a more residential area of Ballard, but they have a nice outdoor space and were super friendly to Pepper.
Related Post: Solo Female Travel With a Dog
Transportation with Dogs in Seattle
If you are not relying on public transit, having a car makes dog-friendly Seattle much easier. Many of the best dog-friendly beaches, parks, and day trips are spread out. Driving made it simpler to reach places like Golden Gardens, Magnuson Park, and Edmonds with Pepper. If you are thinking of taking public transit with your dog, here are some things to know.
Light Rail and Buses
Dogs are only allowed on Sound Transit buses and trains if they are service animals or in a carrier, which meant Pepper could not ride the trains. I found Seattle to be quite spread out, so it felt more convenient to drive most places with a dog.
Ferries
Dogs are allowed on ferries in Seattle. I took Pepper on a couple of ferries for day trips to Whidbey Island and Bainbridge Island. I drove both times, but you also have the option to walk on with your dog. Pepper was nervous on the ferries. We tried walking around on the outside decks where there were a few other dogs, but it was tough for her to adjust. It did allow us to take some pretty great day trips, though, so I appreciated that she was allowed on the ferries.
Dog-Friendly Day Trips From Seattle
Edmonds
Edmonds is only about a 20-minute drive north of Seattle if you have a car, so it works well as a half-day trip. If you take your dog to Edmonds, make sure to check out Edmonds Dog Beach. Downtown Edmonds is a short drive from the beach and has lots of cute shops and restaurants. Many of the restaurants have outdoor patios that allow dogs. Pepper joined for brunch at the Red Twig Café.
Whidbey Island and Deception Pass
My favorite day trip from Seattle was to Whidbey Island and Deception Pass. I wrote a post about a full-day itinerary to Whidbey Island that is fully dog-friendly. We took the ferry to Whidbey Island and strolled along Double Bluff Beach. For lunch, we wandered around adorable Coupeville and ate on a patio. In the afternoon, we did a hike at Deception Pass before driving back to Seattle. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a day trip with your dog.
Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge Island is another ferry-ride day trip from Seattle that allows dogs. I took Pepper on the ferry for the day with my car so we could drive to hike at Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve. We had lunch along the water at Doc’s Marina Grill before heading back to Seattle. If you don’t have a car, you could take the ferry, walk along the waterfront trail, and explore downtown for a shorter day trip from Seattle.
Gear I Used in Seattle with Pepper
My Favorite Seattle Dog Gear
Travel Towel – Between the beaches, hiking trails, and occasional mud, I definitely used the towel I kept in the car for Pepper. I like to keep this small travel towel in my car, just in case.
Collapsible Bowls – I always keep one of these in my car for Pepper and often carry one with me on hikes.
Day Bag – I’ve been carrying this Osprey Daylite bag on hikes and walks lately. It is small enough not to feel bulky, but big enough to fit everything I need for a hike or urban walk with Pepper.
Paw Balm – Between the salty beaches, rocky trails, and hot pavement, Pepper’s paws took a beating in Seattle.
Related Post: How to Pack For a Road Trip With a Dog
Enjoy your Paw-some Trip to Seattle!
Overall, I found Seattle to be a dog-friendly place to visit. It took some driving to reach the best dog-friendly places, but I found a good mix of touristy stops and more local dog-friendly gems. If you are considering taking your dog on a trip to Seattle, I recommend it.
And if you want to know how Seattle compares to San Francisco in terms of dog-friendliness, check out my post about which city is best for dogs.
Leave a Reply